A Carnoustie councillor has claimed that ‘Team Angus’ is dead after it emerged that all opposition councillors have resigned from Angus Council’s cross-party policy and budget setting group.
Brian Boyd has stepped down following the council’s decision last week to allow Carnoustie Golf Links Management Committee (CGLMC ) to spend almost £5m on a golf centre extension.
He said that Councillor Alex King, who leads the cross-party budget setting group, and Provost Helen Oswald, who chaired last week’s meeting, had “put the final nail in the coffin” to the concept of councillors working together under the banner of Team Angus.
He follows Kirriemuir councillor Ronnie Proctor and Forfar member Ian McLaren who stepped down earlier this month.
At present, it looks unlikely that any opposition councillors will take up positions on the group.
Mr Boyd, who has been part of the group for four years, said the decision to give consent to the multi-million pound golf centre extension made the council look “out of touch” in a financial climate where a series of council cuts were being made.
He said: “Councillor King’s reckless attitude with finance matters made my position on any finance sub-committee untenable.
“Revenues (to the Golf Links Management Committee) are ultimately derived from a public asset. If the council assents to this expenditure it approves using public assets to subsidise competition with the existing local hospitality trade.
“This is money that should be available for wider projects of community and golf development as stated in the mission statement of the charitable trust.
“Councillors have made hard financial decisions over the last four years.
“Councillor King and the SNP administration risk looking out of touch if they approved spending millions of pounds on a council owned golf course after we have voted to close public toilets, cut back on wardens in our sheltered houses, closed council offices and not to mention the threatened closure of our public recycling centres.”
Mr Proctor said he had resigned due to no longer having the time to fully commit to the group. Mr McLaren declined to comment on his resignation.
Mr King defended the council’s decision to consent to the golf centre development in Carnoustie, noting that it would be fully funded by the Links Management Committee and that no council money at all would be spent on the development.
He added: “The council’s officers have closely examined the business case presented by CGLMC Ltd and have concluded that their proposals are both viable and desirable.
“Far from being reckless with finance matters, I have considered this matter carefully and in my opinion it will bring great benefit to golfers coming to play on the Carnoustie Links and will actually increase the financial viability of CGLMC Ltd in the medium to long term.
“I am extremely disappointed that Councillor Boyd has seen fit to resign from the Policy and Budget Strategy Group as he was a valued member, as were Councillor Proctor and Councillor McLaren.
“I am sorry to lose the input of these councillors from a group which has worked together very well over the past four years and I hope that some of the other non- administration councillors will take up the vacant places so that Angus Council can continue to have a group which will work together to bring in a balanced budget.”
